This quick & easy brownie mix cookies recipe turns out deliciously fudgy and chewy brownie cookies from a boxed mix in just about 15 minutes! With just 3 ingredients, this easy cookie recipe is ideal for beginner bakers (and busy moms)...
Easier Than Easy Brownie Mix Cookies
All hail the world's easiest cookie! Well, short of picking up a tube of premade cookie dough at the grocery store... But where's the fun in that?! These deliciously rich, chewy, and fudgy brownie mix cookies straddle the line between store bought and homemade perfectly.
Wait just a minute, can brownie mix really be made into chocolate cookies? Yes!!! With just 5 minutes of prep time, you can be noshing on warm from the oven brownie cookies in just about 15 minutes total. Cross my heart - they're THAT EASY!
Okay, so you know that terrifying/aggravating moment when your kid comes to you at 10:00pm on a school night and tells you he or she needs a treat for the bake sale the next morning? What, your child has never done that?!?! Bless you, sweet mama - your day is comin'...
But yeah, it's just one more reason to pin this brownie mix cookie recipe STAT. Because when you're armed with this great recipe, plus a box of your favorite brownie mix, you're ready for anything that comes your way!
Ingredients For Making Brownie Cookies From Brownie Mix
Got a box of brownie mix lurking in your pantry? You can make these easy brownie cookies! Don't have one? What kind of person even are you?!
J/K, but seriously, you're going to want to keep at least one box on hand from now until forever...
- your favorite 18-oz. brownie box mix* (mine is Ghirardelli Chocolate Supreme)
- vegetable oil (any light flavored oil: canola, coconut, avocado, etc.)
- and one or two eggs
- chocolate chips or chunks are optional, but highly recommended
Because the only ingredients you need for this recipe are:
- 🍫 Brownie box mix: Choose your favorite brand!* Mine is Ghirardelli Chocolate Supreme.
- 🥑 Vegetable oil: Any light flavored oil will work, such as canola, coconut, avocado, etc.
- 🥚 Eggs: Use one or two eggs depending on your desired texture as noted below.
- 🍪 Chocolate chips or chunks: Optional, but highly recommended!
It almost seems too good to be true, doesn't it! But yeah, you only need 3 simple ingredients - four if you're a chocoholic like myself. You might also consider picking up these tools, if you don't already have them (they will make baking ANY cookie infinitely easier):
- Parchment paper: These precut sheets are the BEST!
- Medium cookie scoop: Ideal for portioning out your cookies.
- Spoonula spatula: My fave for combining ingredients together.
PRO TIP: This brownie mix cookie recipe is ideal for kids that are beginner bakers! Make the process even more fun with a set of these adorable mini utensils. They're the perfect size for small hands and just so stinking cute!! I *may* have just picked up a set for myself...
Okay, are you ready to make some brownie mix cookies now? Let's do this!!
How To Make Cookies From Brownie Mix
Honestly, now that I'm getting ready to tell you how to make this brownie cookies recipe, I'm wondering if I should even call this a recipe, LOL. It pretty much goes like this:
- Dump the boxed brownie mix into a large bowl. In the case of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Supreme box brownie mix that I used, it comes with a packet of chocolate syrup. Go ahead and squeeze that in, as well. (By the way, Ghirardelli has absolutely NO idea who I am. I just happen to love, LOVE their brownie mixes!)
- Add ½ cup of your preferred vegetable oil. If you're curious, I happen to use avocado oil for just about all of my cooking and baking, but any light flavored oil will work here. Or you can use butter - see the recipe card notes for this swap!
- Add one large egg - OR one large egg + one egg yolk (more on this in a moment).
- Now stir, stir, and stir some more. The brownie mix cookie batter is VERY thick, so you will need to do a lot of scraping to mix it all together. Which is why I adore this spoonula spatula! You can also use a hand mixer for this step, if you prefer.
- Chocolate lovers, if you're adding chocolate chips or chunks, go ahead and fold them in now. I used the Private Selection 62% Cacao Dark Chocolate Chunks from Kroger, and they are SO good! Plus the square shape makes these simple & easy cookies made with brownie mix look a little more upscale.
Brownie Cookies Made With One Egg Or Two?
Okay, so it's really one egg OR one egg plus one egg yolk, and the deciding factor is pretty much how ooey-gooey you want your brownie mix cookies recipe to turn out...
Think about what you typically reach for when faced with a freshly baked pan of brownies. Do you go for one of the outer squares with the crispy, chewy edges or choose the fudgy brownie texture of a center square? You can totally customize this brownie cookie recipe from a box to suit either choice.
Are you a chewy edges kind of brownie lover? Stick with one large egg for a crispier brownie cookie. But if you're one of those brownie lovers that always reaches for a soft fudgy center brownie piece, add one large egg plus one egg yolk for a chewier cookie.
Tips For The Best Chocolate Brownie Cookies
So here's the thing... Even though we're making boxed brownie mix cookies, it doesn't mean that we don't want them to look bougie and beautiful, you know like they're totally NOT from a mix.
Am I right? Well, it just so happens I have a few parting tips that make ALL the difference in turning out the best brownie mix cookies.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to portion out the brownie batter dough. This will not only ensure that all of your cookies are the same shape and size, but it's also the size that I tested for the bake time listed in the recipe. This size scoop equals 1.5 tablespoons, so in a pinch, that's how many tablespoons of dough you should use per cookie. Also, these rich cookies spread quite a bit, so I recommend only portioning out 8 to a baking sheet.
- Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. These cookies are fairly delicate and will stick to the pan otherwise.
- Add a little bit of extra chocolate chips or chunks for prettier cookies. This tip works for any and every kind of cookie that contains baking chips or mix-ins! Press 2-3 chips/chunks into each dough ball after portioning them out with the scoop. The "extras" will stay on the top of the cookie while it's baking, making for a perfect cookie that looks extra luscious. Peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips would be a delicious addition, as well!
- Don't over bake your cookies! These brownie mix cookies can quickly go from perfect to over baked, so it's important to use visual cues as much as baking time. My cookies were perfectly cooked at 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven, but I would recommend starting to check them around the 9-minute mark. They're done when they're no longer shiny on top, even though they may still look slightly underbaked overall.
- Don't try to transfer these cookies to a cooling rack immediately. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and then you can safely move them to a wire rack.
Have I convinced you to try this ridiculously easy brownie cookie recipe, yet?
Just to quickly recap: it's only 3 ingredients (4 if you add chocolate chips), 5 minutes to mix up and portion out, and 10 minutes to bake. And the best thing is these delicious cookies are cool enough to eat in just about 5 more minutes!
I mean, who wants to wait 45 minutes for a classic brownie recipe to bake and then another 45 minutes to an hour for the pan of brownies to cool? NOT ME!
January 2023 Update
I've tested this recipe with a number of brownie mixes, all with excellent results. However, a number of readers have recently been sharing that they've had issues when using Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Mix.
After a little research, I discovered that Duncan Hines changed the formulation for this variety roughly 9 months ago. And boy, do bakers have STRONG opinions about the change!! So I'm going to assume that the reported issues are a result of this new formula and recommend that you steer clear of it for now.
Printable Recipe ↓
Easy Brownie Mix Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 (18-ounce) boxed brownie mix -
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg - or 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, well beaten (see notes)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips - (optional)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the brownie mix, oil, and egg (or egg + egg yolk). Note that the batter will be very thick. Fold in the chocolate chips or chunks now, if desired. Set the batter aside for about 15 minutes to allow the dry ingredients to hydrate while they oven heats up.
- Heat oven to 350℉. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to portion out the batter into 1.5-tablespoon balls onto the prepared baking sheets. The cookies will spread while baking, so I recommend only placing 8 cookies per tray.
- Bake at 350℉ for 9-10 minutes, rotating the pans at the halfway point. My brownie cookies were perfectly cooked at 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven, but I would recommend starting to check them around the 9-minute mark. Add an extra minute as needed; however, take care not to over bake them. They're done when they're no longer shiny on top, even though they may still look slightly underbaked overall.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
Recipe Notes
Featured Products
More Recipes Made With Boxed Cake Mixes
If you like this boxed brownie mix cookies recipe, you might also enjoy these other EASY boxed cake mix recipes:
- Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake (made w/ yellow cake mix!)
- Layered Boston Cream Pie Cake (made w/ angel food cake mix!)
- Funfetti Sandwich Birthday Cake Cookies (made w/ yellow cake mix!)
- DIY Easy Bake Oven Mixes (your choice of cake mix!)
- Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes (skip Olympic torch instructions and frost!)
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cindy says
Any advice on how to adjust to the shrink inflation? 18oz brownie mixes are the thing of the past. How or would I need to adjust the ingrediencies for the NEW 16.3oz
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Cindy — I feel your pain on the whole shrinkflation issue! It definitely throws a wrench into a lot of baking recipes. I do think the Ghirardelli brownie mixes are still 18 ounces, but if your favorite brand is the 16.3-ounce size, I'd recommend reducing the oil in this recipe to 1/3 cup. The remaining ingredient amounts can stay the same.
Baker says
Thank you so much for the warning about brownie mix brands! That happened to be the brand I had.
For the Duncan Hines chewy brownie mix, use one egg, 1/3 C oil, 2Tbs water, drop by and bake at 350 for 7-9 min. Let cool on cookie sheet for 1 min
The Duncan Hines brownie cookie recipe comes from the cookies in the S'mores Charcutiere Board recipe on the Duncan Hines website https://www.readyseteat.com/recipes-Smores-Dessert-Charcuterie-Board-10031
Studentsmom says
Wish I had read this before making mine- lol. They are almost too fudgy- but edible.
Becky says
I made these for Christmas and added crushed peppermint on the top and they were sooooo good! I tried test cookies, one with the peppermints baked on top and one when I added them after baking and I preferred the candies baked in which made them melty in the cookie.
Melissa says
I used the double chocolate premium brownie mix from Aldi. Followed suggested recipe, added chunks of mint Andi’s candies. Refrigerated for 30 minutes before baking. Baked at 350 degrees for 13 mins. They look perfect!
Suzanne says
This option did not work. Still a powder. Suggestions?
Patricia Middleton says
To make sure my cookies are the same size (and bake to the same degree of goodness) I use my kitchen scales and weigh them, in grams. How much do the raw brownie cookies weight at 1.5 tablespoons? Thank you.
Darlene Proxhny says
Can you use crushed peppermint?
Kauka & Ari says
My granddaughter, age almost 10 made this recipe today.She said it was easy to make. She used egg+yolk. It took 10 minutes for the 1st batch so we made our cookie smaller with 9 minutes. It came out Great and she will make this again. Thank you for making a memory with my granddaughter. We will remember this forever.
Lei says
Hi, I was wondering if this would work the same way with Betty Crocker Delights : Supreme Chocolate Chunks?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Lei! I haven't tried this mix personally, but it's the same size as what I've tested in the past, so it seems like it should work just fine.
Mercedes Cunningham says
Can I add 1/3rd or 1/2 cup of chopped marching cherries to this recipe?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Mercedes! This is not something I've tried, so I can't really say how adding these might affect the texture due to the added moisture. If you try it, please come back and share your results!
Jackie says
can you add kraft carmel bits to the batter, if so how much?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Jackie - I've never tried this, but I don't see why it wouldn't work! I see there is a recipe on the back of the Kraft Caramel Bits bag for Caramel Pecan Brownies that calls for using the entire bag. This seems a bit much to me, so I'd probably stir in half the bag and see what that looks like. You can always add more if it seems like it's not enough.
Sheila says
I made these cookies yesterday and followed the recipe to the tee except I added 2 heaping table spoons of hearshey chocolate syrup. They are delicious. Great short cut cookies.
Barbara says
I urgently needed sugar free cookies for a church function. My committee chair person suggested the following. I used Pillsbury Sugar Free Brownie Mix, 1/3 cup melted butter, and one egg. I chilled the dough for 15-20 minutes and baked for 10 minutes. I used parchment paper, too. I used a smaller amount of dough to get the number of cookies I needed; a heaping teaspoon full. Came out perfect. Next time I will add sugar free chocolate chips
Bonita says
I made these with Betty Crocker brownie mix, triple chocolate is our favorite. I believe some of the negative results are from the brownie mix box size. She calls out an 18 oz box , I have made with 21 1/2 oz and just added 2 whole egg’s instead of the one egg and 1 yolk, just adjust as needed. I have made these quite a few times and they are delicious and super easy! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Emilia says
This recipe comes out perfect every time. So many others over complicate it and there is no need. We use the Ghirardelli Brownie Mix from Costco. This recipe is the best and has become a favorite in our house!
Jay says
Made these using a Betty Crocker dark chocolate mix using 1 stick of melted butter. Baked for 12 minutes, came out chewy and delicious.
Lucy says
These came out great for me and our family loved them!
Not all brownie mixes are 18oz. There are quite a few varieties that are less and some have a little more. Not sure if that would have been the case for those whose cookies didn’t turn out, but something to keep in mind.
Tara Kuczykowski says
Excellent point — thanks for sharing, Lucy!!
Michelle says
I just made these and they are delicious. I made the butter method with 1 egg and 1 yolk. Let the batter rest 15 minutes and baked for 13 minutes. They are chewy on the edges and gooey in the middle. Perfection!!
Tara Kuczykowski says
So happy you loved them, Michelle! Now I'm craving one LOL.
Diana says
These were super easy!! I’m not a baker so I will keep this recipe on hand forever!! Shipping them to my bf’s dad that turns 90 this week! He will love them!!!
Tara Kuczykowski says
Aww, love this SO much, Diana... Happy 90th Birthday to him!!
gloria says
I followed this recipe to the T. All my ingredients were new and in date. This by far was the Worst recipe I’ve ever made. The dough was crumbley and did not spread as described. Needless to say, I was very disappointed and ended up wasting the ingredients due to this “Cluster F—-.” Don’t waste your time or ingredients on this. Absolutely do not recommend!
Tara Kuczykowski says
I'm sorry it didn't turn out well for you, Gloria. Could you let me know what brand of brownie mix you used? I've tried several and never had the issue you described, so I'd like to see if I can figure out what went wrong.
Tiffany Zellner says
@Tara Kuczykowski, Mine did the same thing. Fudge variety of Duncan Hines.
Tara Kuczykowski says
Thanks for sharing the mix you used, Tiffany! I'm SO sorry they didn't turn out well for you. Was it the Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge variety? I googled it to check the size of the box, and it seems they changed the recipe recently. And not for the better — the reviews are horrific!! So I'm wondering if it's just a problem with this specific mix overall.
Wendy says
Did you use 1 egg shown in brownie cookies?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Wendy! For the cookies I photographed, I used one whole large egg + one egg yolk.
Kellie says
Can butter be used in place of oil? I'm thinking butter would add another layer of flavor since oil really doesn't have flavor. Is this do-able? If it is, how much butter would I use in place of oil?
Regular brownie mix is stiff, and I know if I could use butter then it would be really stiff which if fine, not a bad thing, it's brownie mix. I just do not want to waste a brownie mix. Who does that? (lol)
I saw where some said their cookies were oily, which is another reason I was thinking maybe I could use butter.
This is a very clever idea. Thanks
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Kellie! I actually had not tried them with butter, so I just ran a quick test. Yes, you can use butter, but you'll need to make 2 adjustments. First of all, they need to cook about 2-3 minutes longer. I found that 13 minutes at 350 degrees was my sweet spot.
Second, I noticed that the second tray I baked turned out better. My guess is it's because the dry ingredients had a chance to hydrate more during the 15 or so extra minutes that the batter sat out before baking the second batch. I think I would mix up the batter and then preheat my oven, letting the batter sit while it comes to temperature. I'm wondering if this method would be helpful for the readers that have said their cookies seemed oily with the vegetable oil too, so I'm going to give that a try next.
LuLu says
Thanks! Used the same mix, and my batch was definitely oily and no amount of freezing or refrigerating worked. Added flour and made it slightly better to chill and bake without spreading. Next time, will only add 1/4 cup oil and chill overnight before baking. Thanks again!
phishstyx says
fyi: chill dough 1 hr to overnight, & cookies won't spread as much. If you don't have the time (or patience lol), even letting the dough sit for 10 minutes will stiffen it a bit.
hth
Tara Kuczykowski says
Thanks for the tip!
Patti says
Can’t wait to try these. Can nuts be added or is the batter too thick?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Good question, Patti! The batter is thick, but you could definitely add nuts if you want to.
Katie says
The batter is sticky so I put in freezer to firm up. I hope this helps
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Katie! If you look at the photo of my batter, it's definitely very sticky. It's why I recommend using a cookie scoop to portion it out. If you chill it, you'll probably want to increase the baking time slightly.
Linn says
I just made these and unfortunately they are very oily. I followed your recipe exactly. I will try again using alot less oil
Tara Kuczykowski says
Thanks for the feedback, Linn. I'm sorry they didn't turn out well for you! I'd love to help you troubleshoot, because I've never experienced this. Can you tell me what brand of brownie mix you used?
Anita says
@Linn, I followed the directions to the T and mine are VERY oily. Thinking I should toss them out.
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Anita — can you please let me know what brand of mix you used? Thanks!
Abigail Raines says
I always try to make cookies from scratch but it can be time-consuming so I am happy that these delectable cookies are saving me so much time and effort! Every bite of those morsels are heaven to me!
Jessica says
I think I might like brownie mix cookies more than cookie mix cookies. Seriously awesome recipe!
Deanne says
Your recipe caught my eye with two phrases- three ingredients and busy mom. YES! Loved these, thank you!
Carrie Robinson says
I have a box of brownie mix in the pantry. Definitely going to try this recipe. :)
Katie Crenshaw says
Chocolate brownie batter cookies sound AMAZING!! I like a gooey center, so I will have to try the extra egg yolk.
Capri says
I wish I could just eat these right off the screen! Looks so tasty! I can not wait to make these :)
Lauren Kelly says
Incredible! I made these last night with just one egg and they were fabulous. Thank you!
Toni says
I really love how easy these are to make!
Carrie Robinson says
Oh yum! Such a genius idea to use brownie mix to make cookies. :)